Support devices for securely retaining garments and hangers in transportable wardrobes have typically included a metal bar with opposite ends supported by the upper vertical edges of wardrobe sidewalls. Such supports are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,197,033, 3,270,865, 3,306,465, 3,519,139 and 3,773,184, all to Brennan. A variety of means have been employed for securement of hangers to the hanger bar. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,805,780 to Brennan, louvred slots along the bar are engaged by hanger hooks. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,865, a locking clip for each hanger is shown. U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,597 to Brennan, provides pairs of struck-up nibs along the hanger bar for retention of hanger hooks between the nibs. A widely used form of securement involves a locking cap secured along the top of the hanger bar for substantially the full length of the bar. This type of support device is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,306,465, 3,519,139, and 3,613,898, all to Brennan. Such devices offer bendable tabs, prongs and tongues extending from either the cap or the bar for bent-over securement after passage through openings in the other member. The hanger hooks are thereby clenched between the cap and bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,898 includes another aspect of the prior art with the provision of a reversible locking cap for the retention of round-hooks in a first position or square-hooks when inverted to a second position. The bendable securement tongues are shown struck-out from the carrier bar or alternatively from the cap.
In using the bendable extensions for hanger retention, repeated bending causes metal fatigue and damage to these elements. When the damage occurs, re-use of the bar or cap is prevented since the tongues, tabs or prongs, have conventionally been formed as integral struck-out portions of these components and this damage renders the entire component unusable.
It would be a significant advantage for the commercial mover, clothing industry, and others commonly transporting garments, to have available a reliable hanger support device which is durable and can be re-used after bendable portions are damaged by simply replacing a detachable hold down portion. The present invention satisfies these needs.
In satisfying the goals of the invention, a unique hanger support is disclosed which comprises a hold down clip capable of securing a locking cap to a hanger bar by means of engaging a struck-up bracket on the hanger bar and extending through a hole in the locking cap. The clip is bent to overlie the locking cap and complete securement. Hook portions of garment hangers are retained for transport between the locking cap and hanger bar.
For stationing the hanger support in a transportable wardrobe, the hanger bar includes opposite support ends adapted to engage upper edges of opposing vertical sidewalls of the wardrobe. The opposite support ends are integrally formed with a downwardly opening main channel extending therebetween. Struck-up brackets are provided along the main channel and project upwardly to each form a receiving slot for a hold down clip. In order to achieve locking cap securement, struck-up brackets and locking cap holes are located in positional correspondence. A hold down clip engaging a struck-up bracket is accordingly in position to engage the corresponding locking cap hole.
The hold down clip comprises a long arm terminating in a bracket engageable end which is adapted for detachable securement to the struck-up bracket. The long arm of the clip is hand-bendable and requires no special tools to attain securement. The bracket engageable end is hand-disengageable from the struck-up bracket and may include a resilient means for snug but releasable bracket engagement. The long arm is passed through the bracket slot until the engageable end engages the struck-up bracket. The long arm is then bent at generally 90.degree. to the main channel for passage through a corresponding locking cap hole. Securement is then obtained by a continued bending of the long arm to overlie the locking cap. Reversal of the bending and bracket engagement steps detaches the hold down clip. If the hold down clip is not damaged from use, it can remain in bracket engagement leaving the hanger support immediately ready for a next use.
In order to support heavy garments, and the like, the main channel of the hanger bar may include longitudinal reinforcing ribs projecting inwardly and forming elongate recesses along the top of the channel. The ribs offer added strength by terminating in a diverging Y-shape adjacent the support ends of the hanger bar. The struck-up brackets are formed transverse to a portion of the rib. The elongate recess of a rib serves the additional purpose of accommodating a portion of the engageable end of hold down clip within the recess to minimize the distance a bracket has to be struck-up above the upper surfaces of the main channel. The locking cap can then be secured very closely to the channel which results in a snug securement of garment hangers by the locking cap.